My Pumpkin-Palooza + Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Recipe

In case you haven't visited Starbuck's, Pier 1, Hobby Lobby, or Michael's, it's fall. I'm going to be honest. I'm that stereotypical American that enjoys pumpkin EVERYTHING! And other fall foods.

I'm not kidding. I may just put on yoga pants and Instagram them, too. You just watch.

Also, for the first time in 8 years of being married, I decided to decorate my home for fall.

I even made this centerpiece.

Check out B's (who's "not creative") Pac-Man jack-o-lantern. Mine was candy.

Last week, I enjoyed a pumpkin smoothie, pumpkin in my oatmeal, multiple (healthy) pumpkin muffins, sweet potato fries, roasted butternut squash, a pumpkin ale, and roasted pork tenderloin with apples (Try that recipe. It's a-maz-ing.).

I'm going to turn into an Oompa Loompa if I eat any more orange foods. I'm okay with that.

But seriously, that pumpkin smoothie. It was like drinking pumpkin pie, but healthier. As you know, I love smoothies as a quick, no-fuss, healthy breakfast option. Here are my steps to concocting a smoothie.

I've gotten off-track a little in my training and diet lately. The training issues are due to some pretty bad heel pain I've been having. It's likely due to plantar fasciitis. The good news is that thanks to stretching and ice as recommended by my coaches, I appear to be on the mend. More on that hopefully on Fitness Friday. The diet - that's all my bad.

In my efforts to get back on track, I'm having smoothies for breakfast a few times a week. I wanted to switch them up for fall, so I Googled pumpkin smoothie recipes. As usual, I liked some aspects of one recipe, and other aspects of others, so I made my own combination.

And I'm in love!

Lately, I've been obsessed with almonds and almond butter. I promise I don't put almond butter in all of my smoothies! I put it in my peach almond smoothie, and I loved the richness it added to this pumpkin smoothie. Not to mention, it adds a little bit of healthy fat (just watch the amount you add). If you don't like almond butter, or don't have it on hand, just omit it, You could try peanut butter, but it will add a stronger flavor. I drink this as a meal, but you could half the recipe to enjoy as a snack.

Without further ado...

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie Recipe

Serves: 1

Time required: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 - 6 oz. container plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (I used canned)

1/2 banana (fresh or frozen)

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 tbsp unsalted almond butter

1/4 cup almond milk

1/4 - 1/2 cup ice (as frosty as you prefer)

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on medium high to high for a few minutes until smooth. 

Now, pour your smoothie into a tumbler, take a selfie of yourself holding it up (showing off your manicure), and Instagram the heck out of that bad boy! Don't forget your hashtags! #PSS #ilovefall #smoothie #pumpkineverywheredontcare #Mmmmm #Amytoldmeto 

I kid, I kid! Express yourself on Instagram as you wish!

I hope you enjoy this smoothie as much as I do!

-Amy

Bringing Back the Bangs!

Oh hey! It's me! I've been a little absent lately. What have I been doing?

You know, stuff. Work stuff. A lot of work stuff. Exercise stuff. Not running stuff due to major heel pain (another story for another day). Just stuff. Oh yeah, and I got bangs. How did that happen?

So one random Thursday at midnight when I should have been in bed...

I wondered what I'd looked like in bangs. Why? I have no idea. I guess I was looking at celebs like Taylor Swift, Emma Stone, and Lauren Conrad who recently tried bangs and looked great. Not to mention Zooey Deschanel, who has long been known for her bangs (and happens to be my favorite celebrity style inspiration!).

I haven't had bangs since my awkward middle school phase.

We're talking glasses, frizzy, wavy hair I didn't know how to style, high-waisted 90's jeans that didn't fit well, an honest but sad effort to play volleyball, my first experience trying to (unsuccessfully) manage my weight, my nose typically in a book, and endless insecurity as I struggled to feel accepted by my peers. Oh yeah, and bangs that went to my nose, that I poofed out with a giant round brush and curling iron. Yep...

It was a rough time to say the least. The memories from those years are still real, but I've grown and moved on. In fact, I'm trying to find an old picture to submit to The Awkward Years Project. When I was 15, I moved to a new school (where I met my husband), got contacts, became a makeup junkie, and grew my bangs out as part of a clean slate. I was determined to put my nerdy past behind me. It didn't completely work - I'm still an introverted, quirky, nerdy person at heart, which somehow works better as an adult - but at least I felt like I looked better.

Fifteen years later, I've sworn I would never go back. I've moved on. I'm an adult with degrees, a job, friends, a husband, and I'm a runner.Why would I reopen that chapter?

Until that fateful night on little sleep, too much celebrity news, and possibly some dark chocolate, when I opened up a hair simulator site and "tried on bangs". Those simulations always look ridiculous, but the Nicole Richie style I tried didn't look half bad.

That led to my 1 AM venture upstairs to mock-up bangs with hair clips. This was looking promising! I'd be a quirky Zooey Deschanel type! I just needed a fun dress!

Believe it or not, I still thought about bangs the next couple of weeks. Could they really work? Here's how I approached the decision and what I recommend thinking about:

What type of bangs are right for me?

• My face shape - My face is pretty round. Often times really short, blunt bangs make faces look rounder, so I looked at examples of other fringed celebs with round faces, like Emma Stone.
• How thick? My forehead isn't big, so I didn't think couldn't handle super thick, heavy bangs.
• What shape and texture? Because I didn't want a style too blunt or heavy, I thought wispy, layered bangs that were longer at the sides would be a good fit. Also, my hair has natural wave, which I thought would work with the cut.

I recommend researching bang styles for the shape of your face, and looking at friends or celebrities with similar face shapes as examples.

Ask your hairstylist!

I have a great hair stylist that I've gone to for over 5 years. She knows my hair's texture, has cut everything from chin length to long layers in my hair, and knows what works and doesn't work on me. I walked in and told her to brace herself, and I explained what I wanted. I came armed with all of these examples, expressed no poofy 90's bangs, and asked for her opinion. She agreed with my wispy, layered approach for the texture of my hair and was excited that I wanted to do something new! She was on the same page and brought my vision to life! 

Also - she offers free bang trims in between cuts, and she is located less than 5 minutes from my office. Since bangs typically need to be trimmed every 3-4 weeks, I recommend asking your hairstylist what he/she offers in terms of trims.

The result?

I also found that fun dress at Old Navy!
Find it here.
It was $12 on clearance in my local store!
I'm ALL in on the chambray now!

I'm pleasantly surprised! I love the shape and texture. The longer sides look great when my hair is up. 

Oddly, I do see a little "middle school me" now, and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing...

How I style them

I asked my hair stylist if I should blow dry them with a round brush. She promptly replied, "I thought you didn't want poofy 90's bangs?"

Touche. Here's what I do instead: 

• After washing, I leave my hair in a towel to apply my moisturizer and foundation. 
• Then I take my hair out of the towel and I use a paddle brush under the bangs to blow them out straight. I dry and style the rest of my hair. 
• Finally, since my hair has a natural wave, I flat iron them so they aren't poofy. I run the flat iron straight down and barely turn it under at the ends so the bangs slightly curl under instead of stick out. 
• To avoid heaviness and clumpiness, I don't use any product - not even hairspray! 
• Also try to not touch them during the day! That's easier said than done, but it will just make them oilier and clumpier. I actually like when the wind hits them - it just makes them wispier, like I have effortless style (yeah, right!).

What I like about them

I like that they add more shape and dimension to my overall look. When I didn't have bangs, I had long pieces of hair in the front that laid heavy and were hard to style. I don't have to deal with that anymore. They add an extra "something" when my hair is completely up.

How they are (slightly) more difficult

Keep in mind that this is very minor. I don't think you'll ever hear anyone say, "OMG! My life is so overwhelming now that I have to style my bangs!" I mean seriously. Remember those first world problems I talked about?

However, it does change the way I do my hair in the following ways:

• My morning hair and makeup routine is a little more detailed, as I stated above.
• I'll have to go in every few weeks in between cuts for bang trims. 
• Refreshing hair in between washes is a little more difficult. I have oily hair, but I can wash my hair every other day if I use dry shampoo on the off days. Unfortunately, that just doesn't cut it for bangs. They are too oily and clumpy. Instead, on the off days, I do the following:
• I pull the rest of my hair back into a ponytail and and use shampoo and water at the sink to wash, rinse just my bangs.
• Then I style my bangs, just like above.
• Finally, I work dry shampoo in the rest of my hair and style however I want - curled, straightened, up, whatever.
• I feel a stronger need to wear lipstick. Don't ask me why, I just think my bangs need lipstick to go with them. Maybe because there's a lot going on over the forehead, and I need to balance it out? I don't know. I just think styled bangs plus a good lipstick look sophisticated and great together. It could be just me. My fall and winter go-to lipstick is Buxom (R) in Bombay.

Overall, I like the the bangs. I'm also glad that Brandon likes them (although his opinion is secondary to mine). Remember it's just hair, and it will grow!

Do you have bangs, or are you considering bangs? How do you like them?

-Amy

The "Little Things" That Get in Our Way

What do you think about during the day?

It's amazing to me how much I think each day about "little things".

I enjoy and relish the simple joys in life.

• Relaxing with a great cup of coffee on the front porch
• Trying a new eye shadow or lipstick
• Snuggling with one of my kitties
• Reading one of my favorite blogs, Real Simple, Women's Running, or Food Network Magazine
• Cooking a nice dinner for B and me
• Treasure hunting at TJ Maxx or Home Goods
• A new "How I Met Your Mother" episode

I'm sure the list could go on and on. I enjoy these simple moments. A lot. I realize this isn't exactly "Lifestyles of the On-the-Go and Fabulous".

This is 30, people.

On the flip side, I let those annoying, nagging little things get the best of me, too.

• When my hair won't do what I want it to do
• When I'm making a recipe and I run out of eggs (or some crucial grocery item), requiring a special trip to the grocery store
• When I'm already pressed for time and I spill my coffee all over the place
• When I'm ready to go home but realize I'm almost out of gas and have to stop
• When I realize the heels on my pumps are clicky-clacking and I need to have them re-soled (as is the case right now...eesh)
• When B is on the computer instead of helping me with dishes or other task at home

Sadly, this list could go on and on, too. Yes, I am the QUEEN of first world problems!!! I'm not proud of it. These are not problems. Minor annoyances at best. There are people who have REAL problems. And no, I'm of course not immune to real problems either. I've had my share of hardships over the years. But these are not problems.

But what if - just go with me here - I focused my energy from little things to bigger, more important things?

Case in point:

As I've mentioned, over the last few weeks, I've gotten past my failed attempts to PR on a 5K, and I've rededicated myself to training. I'm focusing on training consistently and enjoying running again. I'm even considering running the CrossKnox 15K at the end of October. So far, it has been going great! I've increased to a more moderate, healthy level of calories to fuel my running. I've gotten new shoes to hopefully correct some heel pain I've been having. I've had more energy and felt better while running than I have in weeks!

This Saturday morning, I had a 5 mile run on my schedule. We were meeting our RunKNOX group, as well as a larger community training group. Despite the recent progress I've been making, I woke up feeling negative. Why?

• It was pouring the rain. Not just rain, monsoon. Some streets (on our route) flooded later that day. I expected an arc to float by.
• My headphones were broken. You expect me to run without music?!
• Despite the fact that my new shoes have great heel cushioning, they aren't broken in and already gave me a blister.
• I'm frustrated that I haven't been losing weight lately or gotten faster lately. I had this negative feeling of "Why am I even doing this?"

Yep, the little things have come into play. I was whiny and didn't even want to go that morning. B's response to me was simple.

Well, I'm going. If you want to go, come with me. If you don't, don't.

Leave it to B to give me straight talk. I'm an adult, and it's really not his job to convince me to do this.

Plus, he knows that the best way to kill a drama queen is to starve her need for attention. Touche, B.

And with that said, I quickly got ready and went with him.

And what happened?

Once I got there, it was fine! It was great to see my running friends and coaches. I accepted the fact that I would just have to have a great run despite the rain and no music. I felt energetic again and great while running, despite the rain. I found humor in the absurdity of being soaking wet while running. I ran a 2 mile easy warm-up, them 3 miles at a more moderate pace (11:20 min/mi) than I usually run. I finished the 5 miles under an hour, which is good for me!

And then a light bulb went off.

I almost let minor annoyances stand in the way of a great run and a stepping stone to bigger running goals!

What other little things are standing in my way of achieving big things?

• What if I didn't procrastinate annoying errands and my life felt more together?
• Although I do budget, what if I spent less money on makeup, clothes, etc and saved for a vacation?
• What if I didn't let little things stress me out and I could mentally focus on my goals?
• What if I just put a teensy little bit of more effort into my workouts, blogging, relationships, etc?

I would probably be shocked at the results.

Since that run, I've made a point to really push myself closer to my limits in my workouts. I did extra speed intervals in my following run on Tuesday. During our core class yesterday, I got uber-competitive with myself and did exercises in the circuit faster and faster.

It got intense. I may have scared my workout partner. Sorry!

Maybe there's something to this idea of putting in just a little more effort!

Do the little things ever bother you? How do you work through them?

-Amy

PS - As I shared on Facebook and Twitter last week, I'm trying a new topic/theme based format for my Fitness Friday posts. My goal is to provide fun, inspiration, and relevant information in a simpler way than an entire weekly run down of my workouts. Let me know what you think!

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

I was not compensated by any of the above organizations for this post, nor are they affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page. Title graphic from Flickr user blmiers2 using Creative Commons license.

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Chambray on Denim for Fall (without looking like a late night talk show host)

Don't get me wrong...

I had the opportunity to meet and even get a picture with Jay Leno. He was quite nice and friendly to me and my family. He only made one small crack at us for being from Tennessee. Apparently, we Tennesseans don't know what running water is. It was all in fun, however, and I thought he was quite nice.

His denim-on-denim look...not so nice.

I remember denim shirts were a thing for awhile when I was a kid. I may have had one at some point.

Until the 90's happened and they weren't...

Once 80's trends like chambray and leggings were done, they were DONE. They were so not cool. Then you better not dare show up at middle school wearing something like stretchy legging pants. You needed to get with the program and start wearing Jennifer Anniston hair, mini-skirts, jeans, overalls, and plaid everything.

I may have been the kid who wore leggings and other 80's-ish clothes past their prime. With a little peer pressure, I catapulted my wardrobe into the 90's and never looked back.

When leggings came "in" again several years ago, I had a hard time accepting them. I remembered all too well the feeling of being "un-cool" for wearing them too late into the 90's as a 7th grader. I had closed that door a long time ago. How could I go back?

As they got more and more popular and my friends started wearing them, I finally broke down and embraced leggings again to get with the program. I actually like them again! I like them with sweater dresses or really long sweaters.

Then chambray came back in, and I have resisted thus far again.

Is it too 80's? What would I wear it with? Can I wear it with jeans without looking like Jay Leno?

In the meanwhile, it was getting more and more popular. I saw it in ads everywhere.

I saw this shirt at Target. It had a great pale color and the material felt soft. It was at a great price and I  decided I could take a risk on it. To get the over-sized look, I purchased it a size bigger than my usual size.

I was pleasantly surprised when I tried it on with the dark skinny jeans I had on that day. Later, I went home and tried it with an infinity scarf I recently got from Target as well.

And it worked. Enough so, that it inspired my first outfit post.

Shirt: Target
Scarf: Target
Jeans: Gap

Why do I think it works?

• Contrast - I copied a look I've seen in magazines - A very light top and very dark jeans. This breaks the two items up so that they don't run together. It also doesn't feel too "matchy-matchy".

• Accessories - Like all outfits, accessories will make or break the outfit. I chose an infinity scarf to add in more color and earthy jewelry. If you don't want to wear a scarf, jewelry could be a great way to dress up all of the denim and add a little polish. You could try a long necklace, a statement ring, or layered bracelets (probably not all at once!). As far as shoes, I wore brown flats. I've seen it done with sandals in the summer. I think short boots or close-toed wedges would be especially fun and trendy this fall.

Have you tried wearing chambray? How do you wear it?

-Amy

PS - a huge thanks to Brandon, who was nice enough to take pictures for this post. He also is kind enough to edit my posts with the most meticulous standards. He's one trooper of a husband to keep up with me!

I was not compensated by any of the above brands for this post, nor are they affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing items I purchased for myself and love. 

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Why You Should Connect with Other Bloggers + A Liebster Award

I'm back! Posting on a day besides Friday!

Recently, in a leadership workshop/ropes course, we were tasked with identifying the top five things we value in our personal and professional lives. Among accomplishment and some other values, I came up with recognition. I like (is need a strong word?) affirmation and positive feedback when I've worked really hard to accomplish something.

As such, I was excited to hear that a blogger I follow, Go Go Mountain Girl, nominated me for a Liebster Award. It's given to up and coming bloggers with less than 200 followers. It's a peer award that gives bloggers the opportunity to recognize each other and the work we're doing.

When I first started blogging, I struggled with growing my audience. I do believe in the old saying that content is king, and that was my first focus. I spent a lot of time thinking through my mission statement and brand for the blog, what topics I wanted to write about, what I wanted readers to take away from my blog posts, and how to let my personality come through my posts.

I'm such a marketing geek. One day when I make it big I'll write a book on how I did it. In the meantime...

So I think having a strong mission, brand, and relevant content are the most important parts, yes, but then what? How do I drive an audience to this amazing content?

I, of course, started with social media and my own personal network. That only got me so far. My blog started REALLY taking off when I connected with other bloggers.

Why was that so helpful? Let me share...

1. Bloggers are blog readers, too! Why on earth would someone take the time to create a blog and write one or more posts per week? We'd have to be pretty passionate about blogs, right? We love sharing our stories, and we love the personal touch with which other bloggers share information. In fact, I've found fellow bloggers to be my most loyal readers.
2. Bloggers bring their audiences, and the blogosphere is big enough to share. I don't buy into the territorial view that we should limit any mention of another blog to out readers out of fear that we'll drive traffic away from our own blog. It's simple. Readers want content. We want readers. Connecting with bloggers and link-ups gives our audiences more content, and gives us more exposure.
3. Bloggers create communities, which drive traffic for all of us! See above. I've seen huge growths in traffic as I've participated in the Running Bloggers and Sweat Pink communities.
4. There's a lot to learn from other bloggers! Seriously, I get some of the best information from other bloggers (see #1) on running and blogging. I love that bloggers speak from the heart on their personal experiences. You get advice from a real person perspective you can relate to.Not only do you get the advice, but you get their stories. You experience their joy, their disappointments, their frustrations, and their laughter with them. You hear what worked and didn't work for a real person in their endeavors.
5. Following other bloggers keeps you up to date. Admittedly, I fall behind trends in technology, fashion, new running products, apps, etc. Bloggers keep me in the know on all of these things in an easy format to follow.

Long story short, once you nail down your blog, I highly recommend connecting with other bloggers in your genre to learn from others and grow your audience.

How do you connect with other bloggers, you ask?

Oh, you know. Write "OMG your blog is so awesome! I literally want to be just like you! Let's be BFFs" in comments, ask for their phone number, email them pictures of you and your cat, offer to visit them at their home, or try to friend them on Facebook.

Or you could flood their blog's comments and Facebook wall with links to your blog, tweet at them constantly with "follow for follow", tell them that you liked their Facebook page and they are now a terrible awful person if they don't like you back.

Or not! There are ways to go about it without being creepy. I recommend finding a link-up where you and other bloggers can share your posts (generally along a common theme) in a common place. Many of these are weekly or monthly and ask bloggers to post about a certain theme. I choose several link-ups, like Fitness Friday on Talk Less, Say More, Running Bloggers, and Jill Conyers, and Marathon Monday with Coffee and Macarons and Marathon Mom.

I also recommend engaging with other blogs through social media and comments. I don't necessarily mean posting something like "I added you" (implying "now add me"), I mean read their blog! If you read an article that you can relate to, write a meaningful comment. Maybe they tried a new workout that happens to be something you love. Maybe their training for a type race that you are also training for and you can share tips. Maybe you bond over your mutual love of cats. Maybe they are struggling with an issue, and you have advice for them. The point is, engage in the conversation in a relevant way.

With that said, let's talk Liebster, shall we? I was nominated by Sami at Go Go Mountain Girl. I recently discovered her blog and I'm impressed! She's not only a mom and teacher, but a runner and lives a very active lifestyle. I have no idea how she does it all, but it gives me hope that maybe one day I'll be able to balance it all if I decide to start a family. Bonus - she posts BEAUTIFUL pictures of Colorado. I grew up in Wyoming, near the CO border. I'm dying to visit the Rockies again, but for now I'll live vicariously through Sami's pics. :)

You can find her Liebster post here.

As part of the activity, I've been asked to let you "get to know me" through a list of questions.

1. If there was a movie made based on your life, who would play you and why?

The one and only Zooey Deschanel is my actress of choice. If you can't tell through my posts, I'm quite the odd, quirky kid. I LOVE Zooey's quirky personality, fun fashion (seriously, I wish I could buy all of Anthropologie to dress like her), and that she's simply beautiful and classy.

2. What was the last thing you Googled?

Oh boy. If you really want to know someone, check out their Google history. Actually, you probably don't want to know...

Mine is actually pretty tame. Today I Googled "The Small Things Blog Bun". The blogger, Kate, is a super cute hairstylist with amazing style. She posts amazing video tutorials on hairstyles and makeup that break the information in a way that even I can follow! I love that she's a real, down-to-earth girl with adorable style and a quirky personality. Today I didn't have time to wash my hair, so I followed her mid-knot bun tutorial. It turned out great!

3. What is one of your guilty pleasures?
I have too many to list. Scouring the internet for magical solutions to change and organize my life, reading self help books, making lists of home improvement projects I'll never do, browsing Target and T.J. Maxx, watching reality shows like Big Brother, reading Real Simple on my front porch with coffee, and eating snacky foods like Nutella, olives, hummus and pita chips, chips and salsa, popcorn, cheese, or ice cream. Gotta watch those caloric guilty pleasures. 

4. What is something you know now that you wish you knew "then?"
That you can make your life what you want it to be. It doesn't matter where you came from, what people think of you, what stereotype you think you fall into, etc. At one point, I thought I'd always be nerdy and unathletic. I finally pushed myself out of those artificial boundaries I'd set for myself. You can choose to go after your goals and make them a reality!

5. What do you consider to be one of your greatest accomplishments?
I have to go with my half marathon. I probably should say my education, but that was within my comfort zone and the path that I'd established since I was young. Running required me to get out of my comfort zone. To be vulnerable. To ask for help. To push myself beyond what I've ever been pushed. To break out of my belief that I would always be the nerdy, unathletic kid. Doing that opened up my confidence in other areas of life. I've grown in my relationships, personal development, happiness, and career since I started running!

6. What is one thing not many people know about you?
At home, I sing CONSTANTLY!! Once I get an earworm - it's on! Everything from my favorite pop artists (Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Coldplay, Kelly Clarkson, etc) to the alternative/indie artists I dabble in that B thinks are weird (Passion Pit, Lana Del Rey - LOVE her!, Band of Horses, etc) to my favorite 90's songs. I'm probably not a good singer, but I like to believe I am. I NEVER sing in front of people out of fear that I'll confirm that I'm not a good singer. At the very least, B and the cats tolerate me, and I can live with that.

7. If you could wave a magic wand and change one thing about your life, would you? What would it be?
I wish I could stop worrying about stupid little things. I am the queen of first world problems. I worry about what people think of me and if they'll accept me. I worry about theoretical "what-if" situations that never come to fruition. I worry about failing. On top of all of that, I feel guilty for worrying so much about these things, knowing that people out there have real problems.

I would absolutely let a magic wand take all of this away from me. In the real world, I'm working on healthy ways to stop.

8. What is your favorite Disney movie?
Pixar based: Toy Story franchise
True animated film: The Lion King

9. What is something you've never done, but would like to try?
I'd like to travel overseas and see other parts of the world. I'd love to see Europe - Paris, London, Italy, etc, and Australia. One day, I hope I have the chance to do so.

10. Where is your favorite place to be?
Keeping it local - either at home, grilling out on the patio, relaxing on the front porch, or chillin with B and the kitties, or enjoying an afternoon at Market Square/Downtown Knoxville perusing shops, grabbing coffee, enjoying brunch or dinner, and of course, people watching!

11. What is your favorite blog post you've written?
10 reasons why running is awesome! It was a great way to re-energize myself as I remembered why I loved running in the first place.

As part of the Liebster process, I'm nominating 11 more blogs for this award. Should you so choose to participate, here's what you should do:

Rules:

1. You must link back to the person who nominated you.
2. You must answer the 11 questions given to you by your nominator.
3. You must pick 11 bloggers, each with under 200 subscribers, to be nominated for the award.
4. You must come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
5. You must go to their blogs and notify your nominees.

I love too many blogs to mention, but here are my 11 nominees (in no particular order):

• The Lady Okie Blog
• Healthy in Cville
• Beauty and the Greek
• Journey to a Healthy Life
• Coffee and Macarons
• Marathon Mom
• Worn Out Soles
• Vodka and Soda
• Mavrocat Strength
• Miss Adventures in Running
• Run Mum

I'm not really sure what the metric is for "followers", so I looked at Twitter, etc. Shout-out to Talk Less, Say More, Jill Conyers, In Healthy Habits We Trust, Mommies Runs, and Runs with Pugs, who I would love to include, but appear to have more than 200 followers. :)

That's it! What have you learned from other bloggers? 

-Amy

Fitness Friday: Big Stuff!

Big Stuff Happening! 

I'm back in the real world after a crazy couple of weeks. Trying to bring back consistency to my work schedule, workouts, and life. It seems to be going well so far! Over the last two weeks, I've had two new milestones for the blog.

I'm a Sweat Pink Ambassador!

I was recently very excited to find out that I've been named a Sweat Pink Ambassador with Fit Approach. It's a great community of bloggers who are real people like me sharing how they achieve their fitness goals and dreams. I've been introduced to the community through several inspiring running blogger friends, and I'm excited to contribute to the group!

To get started, I just received my pink shoelaces! I'm buying new running shoes this weekend and can't wait to put them on!

My First Local Media Mention!

A couple of months ago, I was approached by a writer for Cityview Magazine, a local lifestyle magazine here in Knoxville. She was writing an article about bananas, their health benefits, and how they can help runners in their fitness goals. I shared how bananas keep my runs fueled, as well as a tropical smoothie recipe. To add to the excitement, my RunKNOX coach contributed some great advice to incorporate bananas in a healthy diet to support our fitness goals, and a banana "ice cream" recipe I'm dying to try.

Check it out here! 

With those big news out of the way, let's talk about the week:

Saturday - 5 Miles, and Falling Out of "The Zone"

Picture it. 7:30 AM. Sunny but not too hot. Nowhere near as humid as it had been. Me - energized and feeling like a champ. Ran a little over two miles feeling great! I was faster than my usual "easy" pace (<12 minute mile) and feeling good about the run. 

And then this sweet elderly man stopped and asked for directions to the UT football game.

Don't get me wrong. I'm more than happy to help. I'm even more happy to help since he was dressed in UT orange. The problem is that stopping and starting again threw me off my game. I wasn't tired before I stopped, but now I was thinking about being tired. I was so sluggish during the next mile now that I was out of "the zone".

Alas, I kept on fighting the good fight, and finally got back in the zone for my last two miles. My running buddy and I finished the run in exactly an hour. Not our goal, but not bad either.

Sunday - Off Day

 

Monday - Taking Boot Camp a Little More Seriously

Okay, I do take boot camp seriously and work really hard to keep up. However, I don't take it as seriously as I do running - i.e. fueling before and after, etc. As a result, I wake up on Tuesdays exhausted, sore, and miserable during my run. So I decided to fuel before with a banana and half a pack of sport beans, and drinking some of B's 2:1:1 recovery drink afterwards. I felt great during boot camp! It was still hard, but at least I never got dizzy and weak. I also woke up Tuesday with very little soreness. Win!

Tuesday - The Energy Continues at RunKNOX

I had 3 miles to run during RunKNOX practice Tuesday. I got there super late from work and had to dart into the locker room to change while everyone was already staring, I was a super flustered hot mess! I put the crazy behind me and set out with my friends for an easy 3 miles. Again, I got in the zone and ran my 3 miles faster than my most recent (not so great) 5K! I was very impressed with a friend and fellow RunKNOXer who kept up with me the whole time, despite the fact it wasn't her usual pace.

Maybe I inspired someone without even trying. :)

Wednesday - 20 Minute Run

Yay for a light week in RunKNOX! We were only prescribed 20 minutes! I came home from work, ran near my home, and jammed out to Robin Thicke and other fun artists (no twerking involved) for a quick 20 minutes. Done!

Thursday - Off Day

 

Friday - 3 mi Run (Tentatively)

As part of my employer's corporate wellness initiative, we now have an outdoor running track. I hope to get out of work at noon and get 3 miles in. Hopefully I can get away from the office to get out there. We'll see how it goes! 

That's it! I'm also wrapping up another fun post about connecting with other bloggers and how it has helped tremendously in growing my blog. I've been a little absent in this area lately, and look forward to reconnecting with my blogger friends soon!

Have a great weekend!

-Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

 I was not compensated by any of the above organizations for this post, nor are they affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page.
Want more? Follow the CSRS Blog on  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram for the latest updates, articles, and more!

Fitness Friday: I'm Back!

Get Ready!

I'm thirty! You know, I think it's going to be a great new decade. I started it off right with dinner with a few family members and friends, balloons, a tiara, and cupcakes last weekend!

Would I have it any other way?

No! And the celebration has continued through the week as I have been meeting up with various friends and family for dinners, etc. I'm so grateful for all of the people who have reached out to me with kind thoughts on my birthday. It has really been a great week! Like all things, it must come to an end. Next week, I'll be back to my normal routine and schedule.

Speaking of my usual routine...Now that I'm thirty, it's time to get wordy!

Whoa. That was rough.

What I mean is, I'm ready to start blogging more. 

Lately, with a lot on my plate as well as my birthday last week, I've slipped from two posts per week to one per week. 

I have mixed feelings on this. 

I do STRONGLY believe that all of my posts should be genuine, provide content that I believe is relevant and valuable to you, the reader, and fit my mission for the blog. Maybe not every post has Pinterest-worthy advice, but I do try to write about my own real stories from an honest, genuine place so that maybe you'll take away something that I learn in my trials and errors. I'm not willing to lower my standards on content for the sake of posting frequently. 

However...

I miss posting more often! I love sharing my recipes, favorite beauty products, gardening and DIY adventures in addition to my weekly Fitness Friday post! And let's face it; it has been too long since I posted a picture of my cats on the blog.

So as part of my fall rededication to my goals, I'm excited to go back to two posts per week starting next week!

So many ideas for posts...

• The finale to my tomato adventure and my favorite fresh salsa recipe

• My new eyeshadow looks from my new Urban Decay Naked 2 palette, a birthday gift card purchase. It's the best neutral palette I've EVER used!

• My fall favorite looks and beauty products
• What I wear to run in the fall
• My favorite running fuel/hydration products, and a part scary/part funny story when I discovered I needed them

All I have to say is, get ready! I'm back!

I don't think you're ready for this - My blog's too blog-a-licious for ya!

Not better.

With all of that said, let's start with Fitness Friday and this week in running, shall we?

Saturday - Last Run in My 20's

Because I didn't have plans until that evening, I was able to attend RunKNOX for my very last run of my 20's. It was a 5 mile easy run. It actually was great! It is still warm and very humid here in TN, but thanks to being well-rested and better fueled, I actually had energy while running. I didn't go fast for me (probably 12:30/mi), but it was a good run. It was also great to have already burned some calories before consuming dinner and two cupcakes later (oops!).

Sunday - Boom! It's my birthday!

It was my birthday! I didn't work out. I went to brunch with my husband, sister, and brother-in-law, which was yummy. I also stopped by Sephora to burn through my birthday money (it didn't take long!). Later that evening, we went to Boomsday, one of the largest fireworks displays in the country. It's kind of a Labor Day tradition in Knoxville, and we always enjoy going!

Monday - Recharging with a hike

Since the weekend had been so busy, I took Labor Day off (it's not a designated holiday where I work). My sister and brother-in-law had already headed out, so it was just me and B. As fun as the weekend was, I was feeling a little exhausted from all of the festivities. I wanted a chance to recharge.

A few weeks ago, my husband took me on my first hike. Prior to that experience, I didn't get the point of hiking. I thought it was just walking. After my first experience, I learned to appreciate the thought of "unplugging", the sense of accomplishment I get from walking up a mountain, and seeing beautiful scenery.

We went down to the Smoky Mountains, not to far from Knoxville. Sadly, we're those people who don't take full advantage of our surroundings. We chose a trail that went to a waterfall called Laurel Falls. I'm not good with directions, but it's close to Gatlinburg, TN.

It was amazing! The hike was all uphill, which was a great workout. It was about 1.3 mi to the falls, and of course 1.3 mi back. It was paved (loosely), but still felt like a hiking trail. Be careful though - there are steep drop-offs as you wind around the mountain. Bears frequent the area, although we didn't see one. Once we got to the falls, we had a great little stop. We waded through the water around the falls (it's not deep), sat on the rocks and relaxed for a few. We saw aquatic salamanders and butterflies. Highly recommend for a short day hike!

Tuesday - Back to RunKNOX

All good things must come to an end, and Tuesday we went back to work. Luckily, I had RunKNOX to look forward to. We did a 4 mi run, but instead of a steady pace, we incorporated 10 intervals of 1 minute running fast/1 minute running very slow in the middle of the workout. I love those! It keeps the run from getting monotonous. I like running fast in short bursts! Done!

Wednesday - So...yeah...

Long weekends toy with my sleep schedule! I had planned to get up early to run before work. I overslept and had just enough time to get ready for work on time. No running. I had plans after work and couldn't run in the evening either. Total slacker.

Thursday: Making Up with a VERY Early Run

Sigh...one downside of getting old is my odd sleep schedule. While some days I oversleep, I have frequent nights in which I wake up randomly at 4 AM and can't go back to sleep. Or I don't fall back to sleep until 6:30 AM, which is when I'm supposed to wake up. This time, I stayed up, got some things done for the blog and my home, and went running at 6 AM. Usually I run at 6:45.

Surprisingly, I loved it! It was dark, quiet, and so crisp and cool! I got in the zone listening to 90's music and felt great! That evening, I also attended core class with RunKNOX, so it was a double whammy.

Today: Back to Boot Camp

It has been a week and a half since I attended boot camp. I was looong overdue! I'm going to feel this in the morning. We did squats, lunges with our knee tapping the ground (which hurts my hips oddly), planks, sprints in the sand, push-ups with our hands in straps suspended from the ceiling (okay, I couldn't do them), and all kinds of crazy exercises! It was great!

And that's it! Stay tuned for my big return to blogging next week!

How do you stay charged and active through the week?

- Amy

See what others around the web are doing with these great fitness communities:

 I was not compensated by RunKNOX for this post, nor is it affiliated with this blog. I am simply sharing my honest opinions and experiences. The views expressed in this article are solely my own. Also, I'm not a health or fitness professional of any kind. See my  Terms and Conditions page.
Want more? Follow the CSRS Blog on  Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, or Instagram for the latest updates, articles, and more!